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Tag: TALENT HUNT

  • Odi-Olowo walks for talent hunt

    Odi-Olowo walks for talent hunt

    By Naimat Dauda

    The Chairman of Odi-Olowo Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Rasaq Ajala, has reiterated the council’s commitment to promoting the talents of local youth through initiatives that highlight their skills and provide career opportunities.

    Speaking during the Walk for Sustainable Development to Discover and Promote Hidden Talents in the council area, Ajala said his vision is to create platforms that showcase the area’s many talents and encourage positive, productive energy among the youth.

    He noted that the walk aimed to raise awareness about the upcoming annual sports fiesta and its focus on discovering and promoting local talent.

    He added that it also served to engage the community and highlight the importance of providing opportunities for the youth to shine in sports and other areas.

    According to him, the council hoped to create excitement for the fiesta and encourage others to support these initiatives by participating in the walk.

    He said: “It is one thing to have potential and another to provide a platform for the world to recognise it. This is our aim with the annual sports fiesta to show the world what we have and to assure others with similar potential that their local government is ready and prepared to support and promote them, projecting them to a global audience.

    In the recently concluded National Games, boxers representing Lagos State were from our LCDA. Also 3-4 months ago, some of our footballers represented Nigeria in Sweden. This is what we want the world to know: Odi-Olowo Ojuwoye LCDA is full of talents across various sports”.

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    Rasaq implored Nigerians to continue believing in the country and stay hopeful despite the current economic challenges.

    “We must all recognise that we don’t have any other country to call home other than Nigeria. The challenges we are facing are common for a developing country like ours. However, because we have the potential, the manpower, and a capable leader, I see light at the end of the tunnel”, he advised.

    The council boss urged residents to eshew any act of violence and embrace the season festivities.

    He disclosed that the council has made plans to stimulate the local economy through grants and loans aimed at empowering youth.

    “Our various interventions, especially in the area of loans, are aimed at providing the infrastructure needed for economic growth. Once the economy is stimulated, more people will choose Odi-Olowo Ojuwoye LCDA as a destination for investment. Increased investment will reduce the number of unemployed youth in our LCDA” he said.

  • SMEDAN kicks off talent hunt with 185 participants

    THE Small and Medium Enter-prises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has started its talent hunt aimed at not only tackling unemployment but also assisting winners secure affordable finance for their projects.

    It said the unemployment rate rose from 17.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2017 to 20.9 million in third quarters of last year.

    In a statement, SMEDAN said the programme is aimed at searching for these individuals and integrating them in productive activities. It will also convert the ideas and opportunities into real ventures and link participants to affordable sources of finance and viability.

    It explained that to support the youth, it initiated the programme to discover hidden talents to identify and showcase innovative ideas in fashion, arts and crafts. This, it said, is geared towards employment generation, wealth creation and self-reliance, thereby reducing poverty among youths.

    “It is a complete handholding project from identification, selection, to start-up with enterprise support opportunity and linkage to innovation hubs, facilitating necessary linkages and visibility,” it said.

    Brilliant and innovative ideas in fashion, arts and craft will be shortlisted by a panel during the Pitching/Demonstration in Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Gombe and Kaduna states.

    The 185 participants will be reduced to 74. The selected participants will be treated to Business Development Services (BDS) support and visibility.

    The pitching/demo is scheduled to hold as follows: Akwa Ibom and Kaduna states will be from April 1 to 5 and Enugu and Gombe states April 15 to 19.

    The statement added: ”There are a lot of young Nigerians with innovative business talents, but limited with opportunities to express/showcase them or take action towards the conception. These individuals are scattered across Nigeria and are willing to contribute in their way towards the development of the country.

    “Most importantly, the undergraduates, graduates unemployed youths and adults who can contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the nation are critical in fostering strategic youth development and nation building.

    “The programme is to stimulate growth and sustenance of the micro and small enterprises among youths in Nigeria placing emphasis on available resources, ideal, skills, raw materials, appropriate technology, markets, etc.

    “The talent hunt is aimed at improving creativity and self-discovery, which help many creative people in Nigeria to discover themselves when they do not know they are creative. The creative attitude in many Nigerians can be developed through mentoring. People, especially the youth, should have mentors who will direct them in certain things about life.

     

  • Edmark hosts SMEs at exhibition, talent hunt

    Edmark International,  managers of D-Podium International Event Centre, has hosted an exhibition by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) at its premises in Ikeja, Lagos.

    The event was part of activities marking its three-day Xmas Mega Trade Fair.

    Among items exhibited were clothes, hair products, shoes, bags, foods, drinks, artworks, makeup kits, weave-on, wigs, perfumes and barbeque.

    The evening also featured the grand finale of the D-Podium talent hunt, in which skills, including singing, comedy, stunts, dance and rap, were displayed.

    At the fair, over 3000 participants got vouchers worth over N3 million.They were converted into e-money through the firm’s App called EDPoints, enabling the participants to shop from the SMEs at the exhibition.

    The first winner got N100,000, the second N50,000, the third got N30,000, the fourth and fifth were given consolation prizes.

    According to the Crown Manager, Edmark International, Kingsley Anozie, the fair was aimed at helping SME’s promote their business.

    “Looking at what is happening around the world today; most people are ignorant of the fact that businesses now evolve around smartphones, because it is used by almost everybody at almost round the clock.

    “Edmark has found out this secret and we are helping merchants to advertise their business in a more comfortable way. This is why we have an App called EDPoints, with which merchants have the opportunity to advertise their business and services and also get buyers purchase and make payments. As people play around their phones every time, the businesses of these merchants are seen the more,” he said.

    He said the fair would make the SMEs to be more known to the public, and also enable them to have a new payment system to avoid the problems of other cashless payment systems in the country.

    She added: “The essence of this programme is to promote our payment system, which is EDPoint, a cashless payment system which rewards you when you convert your money into EDPoint. The app also promotes our merchants on the platform.”

    He urged SMEs to embrace the technology provided by smartphones, describing it as the new way of doing business.

    He charged Nigerians to embrace the new way of doing business, saying this would stimulate the economy, move their business forward and make life better.

    He asked the government to promote the new mode of doing business and make the business environment conducive in the nation.

    The Manager of Edmark International, Mr Kingsley Eze, said: ‘’D-Podiun talent hunt grand finale was open to everybody that had something to offer and that is smart enough.Our first audition was on December 1; today is the grand finale. We have 15 contestants, five of them will emerge winners. The first prize is N100,000, the second is N50,000 while the third is N30,000. The fourth and fifth were also given consolation prizes.”

    ‘’The essence of the talent hunt is to promote our event centre called D-Podium International Event Centre,’’ he said. One of the participants, Ebi Soroaye, said   participants were given a free voucher of 1000 EDPoints which is equivalent to N20,000 and is used to purchase anything within N100,000.

    “Whatever you purchase, you will also get loyalty points and with it, you can purchase other points and it is a good one that Edmark has done here today.  With the voucher, I got a Chinese drink and popcorn. Other people got several things,” she added.

     

  • Foundation holds talent hunt for youths

    The Peace Enlightenment Foundation at the weekend held a talent hunt for youths in Ijegun, a Lagos suburb.

    The programme attracted dignitaries, community leaders and apex members of the Itesiwaju Ipinle Eko Vangaurd.

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode urged the youths to stay away from drugs and cultism to realise their future plans.

    Ambode, who was represented by the State Coordinator, Itesiwaju Ipinle Eko Vanguard, Seyi Bamigbade, maintained that the government would award scholarships to first and second placed candidates.

    He said: “We will monitor and hope that next year would be bigger than this. The message of the governor to the youths is that they know that they are the future of this country, and the future starts now. They should also obedient to their parents.”

    He assured residents of Ijegun that the government of Akinwunmi Ambode would build the road linking Ijegun to Festac Town, to ensure easy movement. He added that there is need for the people to support government’s effort at ensuring good roads and security.

    Bamigbade also urged Lagosians to get their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) to enable them vote in the candidate of their choice, saying the present government has a lot of programmes for young ones.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Foundation begins talent hunt to promote reading culture

    TOMA Foundation has begun a talent hunt for its literary/poetry show.

    According to the organiser, the show is tagged: ‘Wake up the giant, Edo youths got talent Season 1″.

    Its Founder Mrs Stella Ebuetse, said the hunt, which is being conjunction with the state Ministry of Education, is to promote reading culture among pupils.

    Speaking at the auditioning of participants in Auchi in Etsako West Local Government, Mrs Ebuetse said the exercise is restricted to participants between 11 and 18.

    ‘’The show is aimed at boosting pupils’ confidence in communication and delivery skills,’’ she added.

    She added that the show is meant to awake among pupils a sense of pride in the nation’s culture and urged youths that activities on education could be favourably rewarded beyond beauty contest, music and dance.

    Mrs Ebuetse said 10 pupils would be picked from each senatorial district to contest at the final stage in Benin, the state capital, where three pupils would be picked to represent the state at the regional level in September.

    She said: “The audition is open to   both public and private secondary schools. The first stage, which is the screening/audition, will take place in three zones and 10 each will be  selected from the zones.

    “The 30 contestants will be camped for two weeks in Benin during this period. They will receive the best professional training from seasoned literary gurus in speech delivery, tips in writing short story and poetry composition.

    “There will be daily tasks on poetry recitation and compositions and elimination of various stages of presentation,” she said.

    “There is no doubt that reading culture is dead among our youths. Literary activities and exercise are abhorred among pupils.

    “As an English/Literature teacher for almost 30 years, the dwindling number of pupils offering literature is heart breaking.”

  • Top NPFL stars feature in Abuja talent hunt

    Top NPFL stars have added colour and class in a football talent hunt at Area 3 Sports Complex Abuja, which began on Wednesday.

    The stars  included ‘Muazam’ Alhassan Ibrahim, Nuhu Abdullahi (Wikki Tourists), Sunday Adetunji (Shooting Stars), Christian Pyagbara (Enyimba), Akor Itodo (Rangers), Fortune Ominiwari (Akwa United) and Paul Ebiyie (Ikorodu United).

    Some of the teams on parade include FC Hearts Abuja, Gee-Lec of Jos, Diamond Academy from Umuahia, Taye Academy of Owerri.

    The event is organised by Norway-based agent Atta Aneke, who manages several top Nigeria stars including Odion Ighalo, Aaron Samuel, Daniel Chima, Ifeanyi Matthew and Chukwuma Akabueze.

    The sports director of Norwegian club, Lillestrom as well as scouts from Italian club Udinese and Danish club Viborg have been looking at what has been on offer in Abuja.

  • Blind music act wins talent hunt

    Blind music act wins talent hunt

    He dreamt of a future when he would rule the airwaves and his songs on every lip. Today, 18-year-old aspiring gospel artiste, Godspower Ikharehon, is one step closer to his dream.

    Beating 467 other contestants, Godspower, a.ka. BOG, emerged winner the SOO Live The Dream™ Music talent hunt that comes with N200, 000 prize money, a recording contract from Dihoo Records and a trip to Dublin, Ireland where he is expected to perform at the Crowne Plaza Hotel courtesy of Perod’s Foundation, sponsors of Miss Nigeria Ireland beauty pageant.

    Participating in the event, BOG said was a deliberate act to show his talent to the world. In short, he was out to make a statement, an act which was seen in the passion with which he battled for the prize.

    To those who feel their lives are over due to one disability or the other, BOG, a pupil of Ihogbe College for the Blind in Benin, the Edo State capital, said he had shown there is great ability in disability.

    The hunt was aimed at identifying budding music talents of the oriented youths from Esan Northeast/Southeast Federal Constituency of Edo State.   It was an initiative sponsored by a member representing Esan Northeast/Southeast Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Sergius Oseasochie Ogun.

    At the hunt, the 18-year-old prided himself with a unique voice and dexterity with the keyboard. He gave such thrilling performances that dazzled the crowd and the judges, comprising Muyiwa Asenuga, a.k.a Nomoreloss, Sydney Shocker, Monique D Vibes and Elcee McEdwards.

    And like story of most great men, BOG wasn’t always so confident. Once upon a time his life, he suffered from depression owing to his condition, and then, music saved his life.

    “I have music to thank for taking me away from self-pity and putting me in the limelight of his community. Whenever I go to church and listen to people sing I feel very happy. In fact, inside me I would wish I was the one doing the songs.  There were times I felt hopeless, especially with my condition.

    “I used to say people can walk, sing, see and here I am not being able to see; I felt that was how my life would be wasted but one day I took a decision and made a step to start singing. That decision helped me to get over self-pity and built my confidence that music is for me. Since then, I have never looked back and I must say that immediately I took that first step, God took it up from there,” he said.

    As he stood with hundreds of other hopefuls in the initial audition, he did not imagine he would make the first 120 contestants. After the number was screened from 120 to 20, to be named among the top, BOG said, boosted his morale and increased his energy to battle for the prize.

    He said: “While I was at home I usually believed that I would win but when the auditions started and I started listening to some of the contestants , I was afraid that I had lost it all. My condition helped me to be serious in the sense that when I heard the performances of the other contestants, it spurred me to work harder. The fact that I don’t see their faces was an advantage to me.”

    He made the list of the top 10 contenders and emerged winner. His pronouncement as winner drew a load and emotional applause at the grand finale held at the Social Hall of St. Benedict’s Catholic Church, Ubiaja, Edo State.

    It was an overwhelmed BOG that took to the stage: he fell down on the floor with joy, started dancing while being held by his brother. The move that brought the audience and fellow contestants to tears.

    Delighted Godspower  said he can’t wait to release his first single. He advised the young and aspiring talents: “I believe that everybody has a talent that needs to be harnessed; it will only take you to look and identify your talent and use it to prosper. I wish my story will touch them to believe in themselves and take a decision not to run away from their country. We have great opportunities here. I don’t know why many are running away from a country with potentials. ”

    Deborah Christy Odiboh, 16, won N100,000 for emerging second, while sound engineer, Destiny Ogunnubi, got N50,000 as third place winner.

    While presenting prizes to the winners, Ogun said he was happy with the outcome of the event and believed the next edition would be better.

    “I am satisfied with the turnout of the event, it was wonderful, my prayer is the by the time we host the second edition next year the turnout will be more than this,” he said.

     

     

  • Rivers college hosts sports festival, talent hunt

    Rivers college hosts sports festival, talent hunt

    The management, staff and students of the Rivers State College of Health Science and Technology have taken time out of their rigorous classroom work to engage in sports.

    The event tagged “Talent Discovery”, is to assist the college discover more talents in sports.

    The sport festival took place on the college’s campus and was witnessed by officials of the Rivers State Sports Council and Ministry of Sports.

    The three-day event featured a football match between the academic staff and the non-academic staff, the alumni and the college football team, a 100metre race, table tennis, basket ball, marathon and other sport activities.

    Mr. Ekine Dumoteinm, the Sports Officer of the college, who initiated the idea, said the essence of the festival was to encourage the spirit of sports among students for the development of sports in the college. He noted that there is no special time to start developing sports in the college than now, adding that Governor Rotimi Amaechi has done a lot to encourage sports in the state.

    He said: “We want to encourage the students; all we are doing is to borrow a little time every year to see how we can gather the students to participate in the sports festival. This is our first time, by next year we are going to introduce more sports activities to make it more excellence for the development of sports in the college.”

    Dr. Charles Amadi, the Provost of the college who participated in the tennis event, said he was happy over the turnout of the students. He said the management would ensure the festival continued.

    “This is to catch them young. The Ministry of Sports and Rivers State Sports Council were here to witness the sports festival and to encourage us. It is an opportunity for the youths to develop their skill in sports for the development of sports in the college.”

    Some of the participants, who spoke to Niger Delta Report, expressed gratitude to the management for initiating the sports festival.

    Kennedy Amadi, one of the students who participated in the sports festival, said it was the best idea for the growth of sports in the college.

    “We have not been doing well in other sports activities in Rivers State, but if the college will sustain this, I believe it will go a long way in catching them young and a lot of talents will be discovered to boost the college team so that we can win more medals while participating in sports competition in the state and beyond.”

    For Florence Nna, the festival was an opportunity to have fun and to showcase her talents.

    She said: “Since most of us were admitted into this campus, it was all about reading and learning. I think this is another opportunity to have fun and to physically exercise our bodies, which is important to our health. The festival also gave me the opportunity to meet the Alumni and to interact with them. Those of us who have the talent, the festival became the best platform to showcase it and maybe our talents in sports could be the means of our livelihood in future.”

     

     

  • Chinese investors to construct Abuja Talent-Hunt village

    Some Chinese investors are in the country to finalise arrangements with the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) for the construction of a talent hunt village for Nigerian youths.

    The Talent Hunt village when fully operational will have an artistic  segment where young and gifted  Nigerians will showcase their skills and earn money rather than depend on white collar jobs.

    The President of the NYCN, Yakubu Shendam who disclosed this in Abuja over the weekend in an address he presented at 2013 National Youth Summit said the Youth Village will be purely for commercial purpose.

    Shendam said desired Nigerian Youths will have the opportunity of earning a living from the village while engaging in entrepreneurial skills, shows among others.

    He also added that an Agricultural programme called, JEGAABA will soon be launched in order to create jobs for over 100,000 youths annually.

    Shendam said, “for the agricultural project, youths will be selected per village form the 19 Northern states of Nigeria”

    “The youths will be trained and empowered to grow highly profitable crops for local and export purposes while a skill acquisition programme for the youths from the South-South with the theme, “Niger Delta beyond oil” is due to commence soon.

    He said about 30,000 youths stand to benefit from the South-south programme.

    While urging Nigeria youths to continue to tap into its most powerful resources, he urged them to continue to have confidence in the Administration of President Goodluck Jonathan as he strives to build a good Nigeria for all its citizens.

  • Two Nigerians make Talent Campus

    Two Nigerians make Talent Campus

    THE 34th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), holding in Durban, South Africa, has released a list of 40 young filmmakers from 15 countries in Africa who will be participating at the Talent Campus segment of the film event. The list has two Nigerians: Aderinsola Ajao and Adeyinka Edward Daniyan, a Director of Photography of Kunle Afolayan’s hit movie, Figurine.

    These African filmmakers and film experts are expected to come together in Durban and be inspired and enlightened in the medium and industry of cinema. The programme provides the selected participants with a unique opportunity to meet with international industry professionals, experts and mentors in various aspects of the filmmaking business through participation in a 5-day programme of masterclasses, workshops and industry networking events.

    This year’s candidates, chosen from over 450 submissions, have been chosen from Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, and Uganda.

    DIFF is being hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts, University of KwaZulu-Natal, with principal funding by the National Lottery Development Trust Fund. The event takes place from July 19 to 23, 2013.

    Running in parallel to the general Festival programme, this year’s Talent Campus Durban will offer three hands-on training programmes: Doc Station which will focus on documentary-making, Talent Press which is dedicated to film criticism and Script Station which will foster story development.

    For the third consecutive year, Doc Station will offer three selected Talents the opportunity to refine and polish documentary projects for pitching at the 4th Durban FilmMart’s DOC Circle. Talent Press will mentor four African journalists in the art of film criticism with access to all the screenings of the 34th Durban International Film Festival. This initiative, promoted in collaboration with FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) and the Goethe Institute of South Africa, will welcome film writing experts Didi Cheeka (Nigeria), Espera Donouvossi (Benin and South Africa), Leon Van Nierop (South Africa) and Katarina Hederen (Ethiopia and South Africa) as programme mentors.

    Talent Campus Durban is presented in partnership with the Berlinale Talent Campus, with support from the German Embassy of South Africa, the Goethe-Institut of South Africa, and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism.